Servicing pathway selection for critical smart dispenser in multiple washroom facilities

ABSTRACT

A method of managing a plurality of washrooms in a facility for servicing by service personnel and, more particularly, for establishing servicing operations which provide for service of at least selected of the dispensers before their consumable product supply falls below a pre-selected refill value.

RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of co-pending U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 16/662,824 filed Oct. 24, 2019, which is a continuation of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 15/604,883 filed May 25, 2017, which hasissued as U.S. Pat. No. 10,496,961, and claims the benefit of 35 U.S.C.120.

SCOPE OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a method of managing a plurality of washroomsin a facility for servicing by service personnel and, more particularly,for establishing servicing operations which provide for service of atleast selected of the dispensers before their consumable product supplyfalls below a pre-selected refill value.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Facilities such as office buildings, sport complexes and the like havewashrooms containing dispensers of consumable products such as liquidhand cleaner, paper hand towels and toilet paper which is consumed inuse and must be filled by service personnel. The management of suchfacilities currently suffer the disadvantages of failing to provide withthe servicing of the dispensers by service personnel which ensurerefilling of dispensers as desired or which optimizes the use of servicepersonnel for such servicing. This is particularly a disadvantage inlarger facilities with many washrooms and many different and varyingusage patterns for the different washrooms particularly having regard tospecial events with higher or low usage and difficulties in schedulingan availability of service personnel, reduced inventories of consumableproducts and/or breakdown of at least some of the dispensers.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

To at least partially overcome these disadvantages, the presentinvention provides an apparatus, system and methods for managing aplurality of washrooms in a facility for servicing by service personnelwhich selects servicing operations to provide for service of thedispensers before the dispensers are emptied beyond a pre-set refillvalue. Preferably, the method includes establishing routes for servicepersonnel for each servicing operation by selecting pathways for theservice personnel to travel along to service dispensers which minimizesthe time for such service operation. Preferably, the method establishesservicing operations which provide for servicing of key dispensers whichwould not be selected for refilling in a given service operation basedon the refill time of each dispenser but are selected so as to extendtheir refill time, as to a time after a future pre-determined time, forexample, to accommodate predicted high usage.

In one aspect, the present invention provides a method of managing aplurality of washrooms in a facility for servicing by service personalcomprising:

providing in a facility a plurality of washrooms, each at a fixedlocation within the facility with each washroom having one or moredispensers of consumable product and with each dispenser having amaximum capacity for the consumable product,

providing one or more service personnel for replenishing the consumableproduct in the dispensers,

establishing for each dispenser a predictive consumption profilerepresenting the product estimated to be available in each dispenserwith time into the future,

establishing for each dispenser a refill value for the consumableproduct available in each dispenser,

establishing for each dispenser a refill time when the consumableproduct available in each dispenser is expected to reach the refillvalue as a function of the predictive consumption profile for thatdispenser,

establishing at least one or more servicing operations,

each servicing operation having one of the service personnel, a starttime and a selected group of the dispensers;

selecting the service personnel, the start time and selected group ofthe dispensers for each servicing operation as a service function whichprovides for service of each of the dispensers before their respectiverefill time.

In another aspect, the present invention provides a method of managing aplurality of washrooms in a facility for servicing by service personalcomprising:

providing in a facility a plurality of washrooms each at a fixedlocation within the facility with each washroom having one or moredispensers of consumable product and with each dispenser having amaximum capacity for the consumable product,

providing one or more service personnel for replenishing the consumableproduct in the dispensers,

establishing for each dispenser a predictive consumption profilerepresenting the product estimated to be available in each dispenserwith time into the future,

establishing for each dispenser a refill value for the consumableproduct available in each dispenser,

establishing for each dispenser a refill time when the consumableproduct available in each dispenser is expected to reach the refillvalue as a function of the predictive consumption profile for thatdispenser,

establishing for each dispenser a service time required for the servicepersonnel to refill the consumable product in that dispenser,

determining one or more pathways for service personnel to travel betweeneach washroom within the facility and a travel time for each pathway,

establishing a route for each service personnel by selecting successivepathways for each service personnel to travel along to servicedispensers as a function which (a) minimizes the sum of the travel timesof the pathways of the route and the service times for each dispenserserviced, (b) provides for service of each of the dispensers before theconsumable product available in any dispenser is expected to reach therefill value.

Dispensers, in accordance with the present invention, preferably have asystem for monitoring the amount of consumable product available for usein the dispenser. Preferably, the sensors for monitoring the supply ofconsumable products in each dispenser is a real time sensor which canprovide preferably by wireless communication information to a serverregarding the consumable product in the dispenser. With some aspects ofthe invention, it is desirable to monitor the location of servicepersonnel and mobile service carts carrying supplies of consumableproduct. Such monitoring may be carried out by various means includingGPS monitors as on portable devices such as cell phones and mobilewireless sensoring, for example, by sensing the relative location of atag or other device on the service personnel or the mobile cart with anarray of spaced sensors within a facility.

A typical facility to which the method of the present invention isapplicable is a facility with a plurality of washrooms to be serviced bya service personnel with each of the washrooms having one or moredispensers of consumable products, for example, with the dispensersbeing paper towel dispensers, hand cleaning fluid dispensers, toiletpaper dispensers and a waste bin. The waste bin may be considered a typeof dispenser with a negative value, that is, with a consumable productbeing the amount of empty space in the waste bin and with the refillingof the consumable space being accomplished by a service personnelemptying the waste bin. In the facility, a predictive consumptionprofile is established representing the consumable product estimated tobe available in each dispenser with time into the future. In an initialstart-up situation, the predictive consumption profile may be chosen,preferably based on some estimate as to the number of persons that woulduse washrooms in the period of time and thereby estimating the extent towhich each of the dispensers may be used with time. In some preferredarrangements of the present invention, the level of consumable productin each dispenser is monitored in time by a level sensing device and thedata from such monitoring is maintained so as to provide a historicaldatabase of consumption for each dispenser. With the passage of time,the predictive consumption profile for each dispenser is preferablymodified having regard to historical data received from the dispensers.

Each dispenser is preferably given a refill value representing an amountof consumable product available in the dispenser when the dispenser ispreferred to be refilled. Having regard to the predictive consumptionprofile for each dispenser, a refill time can be calculated estimatingwhen the consumable product available in each dispenser is expected toreach the refill level. In accordance with the present invention,servicing operations are structured by which one of the servicepersonnel at a start date will be assigned a task of refilling aselective group of dispensers. Preferably, in accordance with thepresent invention, for each servicing operation, a selection of theservice personnel, the start time and the selected group of dispensersfor each servicing operation is made having regard to a service functionwhich includes providing for service of each of the dispensers in thefacility before their respective refill time. The service function may,however, include additional considerations. As one example, it may beexpected that there is, for example, in a future period, for example, aspecial event at a church facility during a weekday in which there willbe increased usage of certain key dispensers of the dispensers in thefacility. During the time that the special event is occurring,difficulties may arise in respect of the service personnel servicing thekey dispenser. Prior to the special event, the method may on the merecriteria of servicing each dispenser before their respective fill time,not require filling of one of the key dispensers during the specialevent. In accordance with the present invention, the service functioncan, for example, shortly prior to the special event, require refillingof the key dispensers with a view to ensuring the key dispensers will,for a longer period of time during the special event and preferably fora time until after the special event, not require refilling. Forexample, prior to the special event, a key dispenser may be providedwhich has a refill value representing 20% of the capacity of thedispenser. Prior to the special event, the key dispenser may have 75% ofits capacity available. While such key dispensers would not on the basisof a mere service function that provides for a filling of that dispenserbefore its respective refill time, select the key dispenser forrefilling before the special event, due to the existence of the specialevent with the service function requiring refilling of the key dispenserto a 100% level as with a view to having the key dispenser haveadditional consumable product which may let the key dispenser haveproduct for dispensing through the special event, or as far as possiblein the special event or, preferably, until after the special event or atleast with minimizing the number of times that that key dispenser mightneed to be refilled during the special event.

In accordance with the present invention, the physical components withinthe facility may be given a fixed location. For example, a fixedlocation of each of the dispensers, a fixed location of a storage roomin which product is to be located as well as hallways, pathways andother pathways for travel within the facility and notably between thedispensers and fixed storage rooms and other rooms such as offices whereservice personnel can rest can be input into the system. Preferably, thelocation of the service personnel and other mobile items such as mobileservice carts may be monitored and tracked.

Preferably, there is input into the system either by initial estimatesor from historical data of the pathways between different locations inthe facilities, the time for each pathway. The method preferably foreach servicing operation establishes a route for each selected servicepersonnel by selecting successive of the pathways for each servicepersonnel to travel along to service a selected group of the dispensersas a service function which minimizes the sum of travel times of thepathways of the route and service times as for each dispenser servicedand loading of inventory as from a fixed storage room onto a mobilecart. This service function in establishing a route that minimizes thetime for the servicing operation is preferably in conjunction with theservice function providing for the servicing of selected dispensers forthe consumable product before each dispenser reaches the refill value.

In any facility, it is within the capability of the facility manager tovary the number of washrooms that are available and operative, to varythe number of dispensers, to vary the capacity of the dispensers, tovary the number of service personnel, to vary the time that the servicepersonnel are available to work as reflected by start and stop time forshifts for the personnel, amongst other things. In respect of individualdispensers in a washroom, the dispensers can be selected having regardto the capacity of consumable product. For example, in the case of ahand cleaning fluid dispenser, dispensers which may be chosen, forexample, to have pre-selected available volumes of liquid such as, forexample, half a liter, one liter or two liters of fluid. Additionally,rather than have but one dispenser in a washroom, it is possible toincrease the capacity in that washroom by having two or more dispensers.

In accordance with the present invention, a method includes attemptingto optimize the costs of servicing the dispensers in the facilityincluding varying the numbers of dispensers, servicing personnel, thenature of the dispensers, the shifts of the personnel and the like. Thepresent invention provides a method for calculating the costs ofservicing the dispensers in a facility over time and varying variablesso as to determine optimum configurations for the variable factors. Forexample, in high use washrooms, the selection of dispensers to have alarger product capacity may reduce the need for the number of servicepersonnel or the number of shifts and thus provide an overall costreduction in the servicing of the facility.

In accordance with the present invention, the method can provide forservicing operations to cover emergency situations in which there may bea shortage of supply of product, unusual usage considerations, failureof certain dispensers to operate, the unavailability of service staff orthe inability to reach certain of the dispensers. Such factors can beused to adapt these service functions so as, for example, to merelyprovide service operations to service critical dispensers. For example,critical dispensers might be characterized as being toilet paperdispensers in some or all of the washrooms being refilled by therefilled time yet letting other dispensers not being refilled andbecoming empty.

The present invention provides a 1^(st) method of managing a pluralityof washrooms in a facility for servicing by service personnel. Themethod preferably includes in a first aspect:

1. providing in a facility a plurality of washrooms, each at a fixedlocation within the facility with each washroom having one or moredispensers of consumable product and with each dispenser having amaximum capacity for the consumable product;

2. providing one or more service personnel for replenishing theconsumable product in the dispensers;

3. establishing for each dispenser a predictive consumption profilerepresenting the product estimated to be available in each dispenserwith time into the future;

4. establishing for each dispenser a refill value for the consumableproduct available in each dispenser;

5. establishing for each dispenser a refill time when the consumableproduct available in each dispenser is expected to reach the refillvalue as a function of the predictive consumption profile for thatdispenser;

6. establishing at least one or more servicing operations;

7. each servicing operation having one of the service personnel, a starttime and a selected group of the dispensers; and

8. selecting the service personnel, the start time and selected group ofthe dispensers for each servicing operation as a service function whichprovides for service of each of the dispensers before their respectiverefill time.

As a 2^(nd) method, the invention provides the 1^(st) method to includethe selecting of the service personnel, the start time and selectedgroup of the dispensers for each servicing operation is with the servicefunction:

(a) providing for service of each of the dispensers before theirrespective refill time, and/or

(b) providing for servicing of predetermined one or more key dispensersof the dispensers to extend the refill time for each key dispenser.

As a 3^(rd) method, the invention provides the 1^(st) method and the2^(nd) method to include establishing a series of successive of theservicing operations,

wherein the selecting of the service personnel, the start time andselected group of the dispensers for each servicing operation is withthe service function providing for service of each of the dispensersbefore their respective refill time and/or providing for servicing ofeach key dispenser which would not be selected for refilling in a givenservicing operation based on the refill time of each key dispensers butare selected so as to extend the refill time for each key dispenser bywhich each key dispenser needs to be refilled in a subsequent servicingoperation.

As a 4^(th) method, in the 2^(nd) and 3^(rd) methods, the servicing ofeach key dispenser to extend the refill time for each key dispenserextends the refill time for that key dispenser to a time after apredetermined time.

As a 5^(th) method, in the 4^(th) method, the predetermined time isselected having regard to factors selected from the group of:

(a) ensuring the consumable product is available in each key dispenseruntil after a period of time in which usage of each key dispenser ispredicted to be high,

(b) ensuring the consumable product is available in each key dispenseruntil after a period of time in which availability of the consumableproduct in each key dispenser is determined to be of high importance,

(c) ensuring the consumable product is available in each key dispenseruntil after a period of time in which servicing of each key is notpossible,

(d) ensuring the consumable product is available in each key dispenseruntil after a period of time in which the service personnel are notavailable for servicing of each key dispenser, and

(e) ensuring the consumable product is available in each key dispenseruntil after a period of time in which consumable product is notavailable for servicing of each key dispenser.

As a 6^(th) method, each of the 1^(st) to 5^(th) methods include:

establishing for each dispenser a service time required for the servicepersonnel to refill the consumable product in that dispenser, and

determining one or more pathways for service personnel to travel and atravel time for each pathway, the pathways including pathways betweenlocations within the facility,

the locations including a location of each dispenser within thefacility.

As a 7^(th) method, the method of claim 6 includes:

providing one or more offices within the facility where one or moreservice personnel are located when not servicing the dispensers,

the locations including a location of each office.

As an 8^(th) method, the 6^(th) and 7^(th) methods include:

providing one or more product storage capabilities within the facility,

the locations including a location of each product storage capability.

As a 9^(th) method, the 6^(th), 7^(th) and 8^(th) methods are carriedout with the product storage capabilities including a mobile storagecart, monitoring in real time the location of each mobile storage cartwithin the facility.

As a 10^(th) method, in the 9^(th) method, the locations include thelocation of each mobile storage cart within the facility as monitored inreal time.

As an 11^(th) method, the 8^(th) to 10^(th) methods include storing theconsumable product at the product storage capabilities, and

monitoring the consumable product at each product storage capability.

As a 12^(th) method, the 6^(th) to 11^(th) methods include for eachservicing operation establishing a listing of consumable productrequired to perform the servicing operation with time, and

selecting the product storage capability from which the consumableproduct for each servicing operation is to be supplied to fulfill thelisting with time.

As a 13^(th) method, the 6^(th) to 12^(th) methods include monitoring inreal time the location of each service personnel within the facility.

As a 14^(th) method, in the 6^(th) to 13^(th) methods, the locationsinclude the location of each service operation of each personnel withinthe facility as monitored in real time.

As a 15^(th) method, the 1^(st) to 14^(th) methods include:

for each servicing operation establishing a route for each selectedservice personnel for that servicing operation by selecting successiveof the pathways for each service personnel to travel along to servicethe selected group of the dispensers as a function which (a) minimizesthe sum of the travel times of the pathways of the route and the servicetimes for each dispenser serviced and preferably also (b) provides forservice of each of the selected group of dispensers before theconsumable product available in any dispenser is expected to reach therefill value.

In a 16^(th) method, the 1^(st) to 15^(th) methods include communicatingeach servicing operation to the service personnel.

In a 17^(th) method, the 16^(th) method includes communicating eachservicing operation to the service personnel is by wirelesscommunication.

In an 18^(th) method, the 15^(th) to 17^(th) methods include monitoringin real time the consumable product available in each dispenser.

In a 19^(th) method, the 18^(th) method includes from time to timeestablishing for each dispenser the predictive consumption profile basedon a function of (a) the monitoring in real time the consumable productavailable in each dispenser and/or (b) predicted usage of the consumableproduct in each dispenser each dispenser.

In a 20^(th) method, the 1^(st) to 19^(th) methods include varying thepredictive consumption profile to accommodate one or more special usageevents of the facility over one or more selected period of time.

In a 21^(st) method, the 1^(st) to 20^(th) methods include:

selecting the number of service personnel, and/or

selecting a work shift schedule which establishes a start time and stoptime of a work shift for each service personnel when each servicepersonnel will be available for servicing.

In a 22^(nd) method the 21^(st) method includes periodically:

establishing a cost per shift of each service personnel,

a calculation step of performing an optimizing calculation which over aselected period of time for the servicing of all dispensers determinesthe routes required to service all dispensers and a sum of the costs ofthe shifts of all service personnel, having regard to a selected inputmatrix of values for the capacity of each dispenser, the refill valuefor each dispenser, the number of service personnel, the shifts, and thestart and stop times for the shifts,

repeatedly varying the selected input matrix values and repeating thecalculation step,

comparing the sum of the costs of the shifts of all service personnelfor each calculation step and identifying one of the selected inputmatrix values as an optimum input matrix values that minimizes the sumof the costs of the shifts of all service personnel,

modifying the method to adopt the optimum input matrix values includingmodifying the dispensers to provide for the optimum capacity of eachdispenser if different than the then existing capacity of eachdispenser, and operating the facility with the selected input matrixvalues for the refill value for each dispenser, number of servicepersonnel, the shifts, and the start and stop times for the shifts.

In a 22^(nd) method, in the 1^(st) to 21^(st) methods, the refill valuefor some of the dispensers is selected to be a nil value when theconsumable product available in each dispenser is nil.

In a 23^(rd) method, in the 22^(nd) method, the dispensers include atoilet paper dispenser and at least one dispenser associated with thetoilet paper dispenser selected from the group of a paper hand toweldispenser, hand cleaner dispenser and a waste bin, and in which therefill value for toilet paper dispensers is selected to be greater thana nil value when the consumable product available in that dispenser isnil.

In a 24^(th) method, in the 22^(nd) or 23^(rd) method, the refill valueof at least one paper hand towel dispenser in each washroom is selectedto be greater than the nil value, and the refill value of other paperhand towel dispenser in the same washroom are selected to be a nilvalue.

In a 25^(th) method, in the 1^(st) to 24^(th) methods, the selecting ofthe service personnel, the start time and selected group of thedispensers for each servicing operation is with the service functionoptionally establishing a route for each service personnel by selectingsuccessive pathways for each service personnel to travel along toservice dispensers as a function which provides for service of each ofthe dispensers so as to prevent all dispensers of the same type in thesame washroom being simultaneously below the refill value.

In a 26^(th) method, the 1^(st) to 25^(th) methods include:

providing a visual indication on each dispenser that signals to a userwhether the dispenser does or does not contain the consumable productavailable to be dispensed.

In a 27^(th) method, the 1^(st) to 26^(th) methods include:

monitoring each dispenser to determine whether or not the dispenser isoperable to dispense the consumable product, and

providing a visual indication on each dispenser that signals to a userwhether the dispenser is or is not operable to dispense the consumableproduct.

In a 28^(th) method, the 1^(st) to 27^(th) methods when, due to a lackof one or more of consumable product, service personnel, access ofservice personnel to any dispenser, or operability of any dispenser suchthat the servicing operations cannot be established to selectingsuccessive pathways for each selected service personnel to travel alongto service the dispensers of the selected group of dispensers as aservice function which provides for service of each of the dispensersbefore the refill time for each of the dispensers, then adopting anemergency mode of selecting of the service personnel, the start time andselected group of the dispensers for each servicing operation in whichthe selecting of the service personnel, the start time and selectedgroup of the dispensers for each servicing operation is with the servicefunction providing for the selection of one or more critical dispensersof the dispensers and refilling of each critical dispenser before theirrespective refill time.

In a 29^(th) method, the 28^(th) method includes reviewing andre-establishing of the refill value for each critical dispenser.

In a 30^(th) method, the 28^(th) or 29^(th) method includes establishinga series of successive of the servicing operations,

wherein the selecting of the service personnel, the start time andselected group of the dispensers for each servicing operation is withthe service function providing for service of each critical dispensersbefore their respective refill time and providing for servicing of eachcritical dispenser which would not be selected for refilling in a givenservicing operation based on the refill time of each critical dispenserbut are selected so as to extend the refill time for each criticaldispenser by which each critical dispenser needs to be refilled in asubsequent servicing operation.

In a 31^(st) method, in the 28^(th) to 30^(th) methods, the servicing ofeach critical dispenser to extend the refill time for each criticaldispenser extends the refill time for that each critical dispenser to atime after a predetermined time.

In a 32^(nd) method, in the 31^(st) method, the predetermined time isselected having regard to factors selected from the group:

ensuring the consumable product is available in each critical dispenseruntil after a period of time in which other of the dispensers are notoperative,

(b) ensuring the consumable product is available in each criticaldispenser until after a period of time in which there is the lack of oneor more of consumable product,

(c) ensuring the consumable product is available in each criticaldispenser until after a period of time in which there is a lack ofservice personnel, and

(d) ensuring the consumable product is available in each criticaldispenser until after a period of time in which there is a lack ofaccess of service personnel to any dispenser.

A 33^(rd) method in accordance with the present invention is a method ofmanaging a plurality of washrooms in a facility for servicing by servicepersonal comprising:

providing in a facility a plurality of washrooms each at a fixedlocation within the facility with each washroom having one or moredispensers of consumable product and with each dispenser having amaximum capacity for the consumable product,

providing one or more service personnel for replenishing the consumableproduct in the dispensers,

establishing for each dispenser a predictive consumption profilerepresenting the product estimated to be available in each dispenserwith time into the future,

establishing for each dispenser a refill value for the consumableproduct available in each dispenser,

establishing for each dispenser a refill time when the consumableproduct available in each dispenser is expected to reach the refillvalue as a function of the predictive consumption profile for thatdispenser,

establishing for each dispenser a service time required for the servicepersonnel to refill the consumable product in that dispenser,

determining one or more pathways for service personnel to travel betweeneach washroom within the facility and a travel time for each pathway,

establishing a route for each service personnel by selecting successivepathways for each service personnel to travel along to servicedispensers as a function which (a) minimizes the sum of the travel timesof the pathways of the route and the service times for each dispenserserviced, (b) provides for service of each of the dispensers before theconsumable product available in any dispenser is expected to reach therefill value.

In a 34^(th) method, the 33^(rd) method includes:

providing one or more offices within the facility where one or moreservice personnel are located when not servicing the dispensers,

determining one or more pathways for service personnel to travel betweeneach office and the washrooms within the facility and a travel time foreach pathway,

establishing the route for each service personnel including both thepathways for service personnel to travel between each washroom withinthe facility and the pathways for service personnel to travel betweeneach office and the washrooms within the facility by selectingsuccessive of the pathways for each service personnel to travel along toservice dispensers as a function which (a) minimizes the sum of thetravel times of the pathways of the route and the service times for eachdispenser serviced, (b) provides for service of each of the dispensersbefore the consumable product available in any dispenser is expected toreach the refill value.

In a 35^(th) method, the 33^(rd) method includes:

providing one or more product storage spaces in the facility,

determining one or more pathways for service personnel to travel betweeneach product storage space and each washroom within the facility and atravel time for each pathway,

storing the consumable product at the storage spaces,

monitoring the consumable product at each storage space,

establishing the route for each service personnel including both thepathways for service personnel to travel between each product storagespace and each washroom within the facility and the pathways for servicepersonnel to travel between each washroom within the facility, and thepathways for service personnel to travel between each office and thewashrooms within the facility by selecting successive of the pathwaysfor each service personnel to travel along to service dispensers as afunction which (a) minimizes the sum of the travel times of the pathwaysof the route and the service times for each dispenser serviced, (b)provides for service of each of the dispensers before the consumableproduct available in any dispenser is expected to reach the refillvalue.

In a 36^(th) method, the 34^(th) method includes:

providing one or more product storage spaces in the facility,

determining one or more pathways for service personnel to travel betweeneach product storage space, each office and each washroom within thefacility and a travel time for each pathway, storing the consumableproduct at the storage spaces,

monitoring the consumable product at each storage space,

establishing the route for each service personnel including the pathwaysfor service personnel to travel between each product storage space, eachoffice and each washroom within the facility, the pathways for servicepersonnel to travel between each washroom within the facility, and thepathways for service personnel to travel between each office and thewashroom within the facility by selecting successive of the pathways foreach service personnel to travel along to service dispensers as afunction which (a) minimizes the sum of the travel times of the pathwaysof the route and the service times for each dispenser serviced, (b)provides for service of each of the dispensers before the consumableproduct available in any dispenser is expected to reach a nil value.

In a 37^(th) method, the 33^(rd) to 36^(th) methods include monitoringin real time the consumable product available in each dispenser.

In a 38^(th) method, the 37^(th) method includes establishing for eachdispenser the predictive consumption profile based on a function of (a)historical monitoring of each dispenser and (b) predicted usage of eachdispenser.

In a 39^(th) method, the 33^(rd) to 38^(th) methods include:

selecting the number of service personnel, and

selecting a work shift schedule which establishes the start time andstop time of a work shift for each service personnel when each servicepersonnel will be available for servicing.

In a 40^(th) method, the 39^(th) method includes periodically:

establishing a cost per shift of each service personnel,

a calculation step of performing an optimizing calculation which over aselected period of time for the servicing of all dispensers determinesthe routes required to service all dispensers and a sum of the costs ofthe shifts of all service personnel, having regard to a selected inputmatrix of values for the capacity of each dispenser, the refill valuefor each dispenser, the number of service personnel, the shifts, and thestart and stop times for the shifts,

repeatedly varying the selected input matrix values and repeating thecalculation step,

comparing the sum of the costs of the shifts of all service personnelfor each calculation step and identifying one of the selected inputmatrix values as an optimum input matrix values that minimizes the sumof the costs of the shifts of all service personnel,

modifying the method to adopt the optimum input matrix values includingmodifying the dispensers to provide for the optimum capacity of eachdispenser if different than the then existing capacity of eachdispenser, and operating the facility with the selected input matrixvalues for the refill value for each dispenser, number of servicepersonnel, the shifts, and the start and stop times for the shifts.

In a 41^(st) method, the 33^(rd) to 40^(th) methods include varying thepredictive consumption profile to accommodate special usage events ofthe facility over a selected period of time.

In a 42^(nd) method, the 33^(rd) to 41^(st) methods include monitoringin real time the location of each service personnel within the facility.

In a 43^(rd) method, the 42^(nd) method includes modifying the route inreal time having regard to the real time the location of each servicepersonnel within the facility and the consumable product available ineach dispenser in real time.

In a 44^(th) method, in the 33^(rd) to 43^(rd) methods, the refill valuefor selected dispensers is selected to be a nil value when theconsumable product available in each dispenser is nil.

In a 45^(th) method, in the 33^(rd) to 44^(th) methods, the dispensersinclude toilet paper dispensers, paper hand towel dispensers and handcleaner dispensers, and in which the refill value for toilet paperdispensers is selected to be greater than a nil value when theconsumable product available in that dispenser is nil.

In a 46^(th) method, in the 45^(th) method, the refill value at leastone paper hand towel dispenser in each washroom is selected to begreater than a nil value when the consumable product available in thatdispenser is nil, and the refill value other paper hand towel dispenserin the same washroom are selected to be a nil value when the consumableproduct available in each dispenser is nil.

In a 47^(th) method, in any one of the 33^(rd) to 46^(th) methods, thereis substituted for the wording of the last paragraph in method 33, thefollowing wording: “establishing a route for each service personnel byselecting successive pathways for each service personnel to travel alongto service dispensers as a function which (a) minimizes the sum of thetravel times of the pathways of the route and the service times for eachdispenser serviced, (b) provides for service of each of the dispenserseither: before the consumable product available in any dispenser isexpected to reach the refill value, or to minimize the length of timethat all dispensers of the same type in the same washroom aresimultaneously in the refill value or below.

A 48^(th) method of managing a plurality of washrooms in a facility forservicing by service personal comprising:

providing in a facility a plurality of washrooms, each at a fixedlocation within the facility with each washroom having one or moredispensers of consumable product and with each dispenser having amaximum capacity for the consumable product,

providing one or more service personnel for replenishing the consumableproduct in the dispensers,

establishing for each dispenser a predictive consumption profilerepresenting the product estimated to be available in each dispenserwith time into the future,

establishing for each dispenser a refill value for the consumableproduct available in each dispenser,

establishing for each dispenser a refill time when the consumableproduct available in each dispenser is expected to reach the refillvalue as a function of the predictive consumption profile for thatdispenser, establishing for each dispenser a service time required forthe service personnel to refill the consumable product in thatdispenser,

determining one or more pathways for service personnel to travel betweeneach washroom within the facility and a travel time for each pathway,

establishing a series of successive servicing operations,

each servicing operation having a selected one of the service personnelnot occupied concurrently in another of the servicing operations, astart time, a start location, a selected group of the dispensers and aroute for servicing the selected group of the dispensers;

the start time, route, and selected group of the dispensers for of theservicing operations established selecting successive pathways for eachselected service personnel to travel along to service the dispensers ofthe selected group of dispensers as a service function which (a)minimizes the sum of the travel times of the pathways of the route andthe service times for each dispenser serviced, (b) provides for serviceof each of the dispensers before the refill time for each of thedispensers, and (c) provides for servicing of any dispenser to extendthe refill time for that dispenser after the servicing operation toextend the time of the next servicing operation for servicing of thatdispenser.

A 49^(th) method of managing a plurality of washrooms in a facility forservicing by service personal comprising:

providing in a facility a plurality of washrooms each at a fixedlocation within the facility with each washroom having one or moredispensers of consumable product and with each dispenser having amaximum capacity for the consumable product,

designating selected of the dispensers as key dispensers,

providing one or more service personnel for replenishing the consumableproduct in the dispensers,

establishing for each dispenser a predictive consumption profilerepresenting the product estimated to be available in each dispenserwith time into the future,

establishing for each dispenser a refill value for the consumableproduct available in each dispenser,

establishing for each dispenser refill time when the consumable productavailable in each dispenser is expected to reach the refill value as afunction of the predictive consumption profile for that dispenser,

establishing for each dispenser a service time required for the servicepersonnel to refill the consumable product in that dispenser,

determining one or more pathways for service personnel to travel betweeneach washroom within the facility and a travel time for each pathway,

establishing a series of successive servicing operations,

each servicing operation having a selected one of the service personnelnot occupied concurrently in another of the servicing operations, astart time, a start location, a selected group of the dispensers and aroute for servicing the selected group of the dispensers;

the start time, route, and selected group of the dispensers for of theservicing operations established selecting successive pathways for eachselected service personnel to travel along to service the dispensers ofthe selected group of dispensers as a service function which (a)minimizes the sum of the travel times of the pathways of the route andthe service times for each dispenser serviced, (b) provides for serviceof each of the key dispensers before the refill time for each of the keydispensers, and (c) provides for servicing of any key dispenser toextend the refill time for that key dispenser after the servicingoperation to extend the time of the next servicing operation forservicing of that key dispenser.

In a 50^(th) method, in the 49^(th) method, item (c) provides forservicing of any key dispenser to extend the refill time for that keydispenser after the servicing operation to extend the time of the nextservicing operation for servicing of that key dispenser beyond apredetermined time.

In a 51^(st) method, in the 50^(th) method, the predetermined time isselected having regard to factors selected from the group of:

ensuring the consumable product is available in each key dispenserduring a period of time in which usage of the washrooms is anticipatedto be high or the service personnel are not available.

In a 52^(nd) method, the 49 to 51^(st) methods include:

monitoring the consumable product available in each dispenser, and

establishing for each dispenser the refill time when the consumableproduct available in each dispenser is expected to reach a refill valueas a function of (a) the monitoring of that dispenser, and (b) thepredictive consumption profile for that dispenser.

In a 53^(rd) method, each of the 49^(th) to 52^(nd) methods includeestablishing for selected of the dispenser the refill value a conditionin which the dispenser contains none of the consumable product.

In a 54^(th) method, in any preceding method, the predictive consumptionprofile is established from time to time from data selected from thegroup of:

historical data acquired by monitoring the consumable product availablein each dispenser with time, and

data selected based on predicted use of the facility during selectedperiods of time.

The present invention in one aspect provides a method of managing aplurality of washrooms in a facility for servicing by service personal.The method comprises various steps.

As one step, the method includes providing in a facility a plurality ofwashrooms, each at a fixed location within the facility with eachwashroom having one or more dispensers of consumable product and witheach dispenser having a maximum capacity for the consumable product. Asone example, the facility may have offices or various rooms of whichsome may comprise washrooms by reason of having one or more dispensersof consumable product such as hand cleaning fluid dispensers of, forexample, liquid soap or alcohol based disinfectant fluid from reservoirsthat contain the consumable product, and which reservoirs have acapacity to hold a maximum volume. The dispensers may also comprisedispensers of paper consumable products such as paper hand towels andtoilet paper as in rolls or sheets with each dispenser having acapability to hold a maximum capacity of the paper product. Thedispensers also include waste bins with a maximum capacity to hold amaximum volume of waste.

The method includes the step of providing one or more service personnelfor replenishing the consumable product in the dispensers. The servicepersonnel are, for example, one or more persons or employees who havethe capability to move about the facility and perform various serviceoperations as may be desired.

The method includes establishing for each dispenser a predictiveconsumption profile representing the product estimated to be availablein each dispenser with time into the future. For each dispenser, theconsumable product in the dispenser is determined at a point in time.For example, preferably, the dispenser has a sensor that measures theamount of the consumable product in the dispenser at a known time and,for example, communicates this data to a central computer or processor.Preferably, the sensor measures the amount of consumable product in thedispenser in real time and communicates to the computer in real time. Asanother example, the dispenser may be filled to a known level with theconsumable product by a service personnel, often to the maximum capacityfor the dispenser and the service personnel communicates the filling,the level to which there is filling and the time of filling to thecomputer. For each dispenser, the consumption of its consumable productis determined at different points in time. The consumption representsthe reduction of the consumable product in the dispenser with time. Witha dispenser with real time sensing of the amount of consumable productin the dispenser is known with the passage of time and, at any time, therate at which consumable product has been dispensed with time can beused to predict based on historical data when the consumable product inthe dispenser at any time may be expected to be reduced to nil at somefuture time. Historical data from repeated cycles of filling thedispenser and use of the dispenser can permit the calculation ofpredictive formulas which estimate a predictive consumption profile forthe dispenser describing the amount of consumable product in thedispenser as a function of time. For dispensers that do not have sensorsor real time sensing, dispensing historical data as available on thedispenser can be used to estimate a predictive consumption profile. Thedata to be used may be lesser data points than with a dispenser withreal time sensing limited possibly to data on when the dispenser wasfilled, to what extent and when the dispenser was next observed and theamount of consumable product in the dispenser when next observed.Dispensers without sensors may nevertheless come to have developed anaccurate consumption predictive profile with time as the amount ofhistorical data available to the computer increases. Thus, the methodmay include from, time to time, establishing for each dispenser thepredictive consumption profile based on a function of (a) any monitoringin real time the consumable product available in each dispenser, and (b)predicted usage of the consumable product in each dispenser.

The method includes establishing for each dispenser a refill value forthe consumable product available in each dispenser. The refill value fora dispenser is the amount of the consumable product desired to be in thedispenser at the time that the dispenser is to be serviced by servicepersonnel to refill the dispenser. The refill value may vary widely andbe selected, for example, in a range of from 0% to 50%, without limitingthe refill value. For example, in a toilet stall which has one dispenserof toilet paper, the refill value may be selected so that even ifconsumption may vary widely from the predictive profile for thedispenser, there will be with a high probability at least some toiletpaper in a private toilet stall at all times. The refill value may beselected to be 15 to 30%, for example, as towards erring on aprobability basis on having at least some toilet paper in the stall atall times and considering having at least some toilet paper asimportant. In a washroom with a permanent water supply with two or moredispensers of hand cleaning soap communally available and visible toeach user, each dispenser may be selected to have a refill value of say0% to 10% expecting that on a probability basis that at least one of thedispensers may have at least some soap and considering having at leastsome soap not critical since typically a user's hands could be washedmerely with water.

The method includes establishing for each dispenser a refill time whenthe consumable product available in each dispenser is expected to reachthe refill value as a function of the predictive consumption profile forthat dispenser. Given that the quantity of consumable product in thedispenser has been determined at a known time, and given that theconsumptive profile of the dispenser has been established, theconsumptive profile is used to estimate the time from when the quantityof consumable product is known in the dispenser to calculate a time whenthe quantity of consumptive product in the dispenser will equal therefill value for the dispenser, a selected refill value for a dispenser.

The method includes establishing at least one or more servicingoperations, with each servicing operation having one of the servicepersonnel, a start time and a selected group of the dispensers. Theservicing operations are selected having regard to servicing operationsthat are desired on the selected group of dispensers. In one case, theservicing operation may merely be the refilling of the dispensers withconsumable product. However, other servicing operations may be selectedincluding without limitation monitoring of any dispenser as to itsstatus and replacing batteries in a battery powered dispenser before thestorage capacity of the battery is consumed. The start time is aselected time that the servicing operations are to commence, such as astart time of a shift for the selected service personnel or a time whenthe service personnel is expected to become available.

The method includes selecting the service personnel, the start time andthe selected group of the dispensers for each servicing operation as aservice function which provides for service of each of the dispensersbefore their respective refill time. The method preferably includesselecting of the service personnel, the start time and selected group ofthe dispensers for each servicing operation is with the servicefunction:

(a) providing for service of each of the dispensers before theirrespective refill time, and

(b) providing for servicing of predetermined one or more key dispensersof the dispensers to extend the refill time for each key dispenser. Theservicing of each dispenser before their refill time will ensure thateach dispenser has consumable product at all times as is generallydesirable. Providing for servicing of some of the dispensers designatedto be key dispensers is to extend the time that each key dispenser maybe expected to have consumable product available. Key dispensers may beselected as key dispensers on many different bases, including dispensersthat may be expected to have high usage and need to be servicedfrequently, dispensers whose usage anticipates high usage in the nearfuture and dispensers which are desired to have consumable product foruse with high probability.

Preferably, the method includes establishing a series of successive ofthe servicing operations, wherein the selecting of the servicepersonnel, the start time and selected groups of the dispensers for eachservicing operation is with the service function providing for serviceof each of the dispensers before their respective refill time andproviding for servicing of each key dispenser which would not beselected for refilling in a given servicing operation based on therefill time of each key dispensers but are selected so as to extend therefill time for each key dispenser by which each key dispenser needs tobe refilled in a subsequent servicing operation. Preferably, theservicing of each key dispenser to extend the refill time for each keydispenser extends the refill time for that each key dispenser to a timeafter a predetermined time, that is preferably selected having regard tofactors selected from the group of:

(a) ensuring the consumable product is available in each key dispenseruntil after a period of time in which usage of each key dispenser ispredicted to be high,

(b) ensuring the consumable product is available in each key dispenseruntil after a period of time in which availability of the consumableproduct in each key dispenser is determined to be of high importance,

(c) ensuring the consumable product is available in each key dispenseruntil after a period of time in which servicing of each key is notpossible,

(d) ensuring the consumable product is available in each key dispenseruntil after a period of time in which the service personnel are notavailable for servicing of each key dispenser, and

(e) ensuring the consumable product is available in each key dispenseruntil after a period of time in which consumable product is notavailable for servicing of each key dispenser.

The methods preferably include establishing for each dispenser a servicetime required for the service personnel to refill the consumable productin that dispenser, and determining one or more pathways for servicepersonnel to travel and a travel time for each pathway, the pathwaysincluding pathways between locations within the facility, and thelocations including a location of each dispenser within the facility.The service time for a dispenser is the length of time that a serviceperson who is located at the dispenser required to perform the serviceoperation of refilling the dispenser from the level of consumableproduct the dispenser is at when the service personnel starts service toa desired level. For example, for a soap dispenser which has areplaceable cartridge that is to be removed and replaced by anothercartridge with a reservoir full of soap, the service time may beestimated to be relatively constant. The service time could be estimatedas based on measured times for historical servicing, as could beapparent from sensors on the dispensers preferably determining in realtime the status of the dispenser, the presence of a reservoir orposition of a cover for the dispenser. In other cases, for example, thetime of servicing could be measured by service personnel. The facilityand its floor plan are known to the computer as data. The data about thefacility and its floor plan provide information including the dimensionsand relative location of many relevant items including, for example, asare generally to be considered immovable items: rooms, walls, hallways,doors, stairways, elevators, escalators and other means by which servicepersonnel may move within the facility, dispensers, wash basins, waterfaucets, toilets, showers, tubs, toilet stalls, and the purpose andfunction of each item. The data about the facility can also includeinformation about movable items which can include: the location of anymovable item including movable dispensers, personnel, mobile cartscarrying consumable products for dispensers and other items for servicetasks. From such location information, one or more pathways can beproposed, selected and/or established for service personnel to movealong to move from a start location from any one location to a finishlocation at any second location. More than one pathway may be possiblefor moving between any start location and a finish location. Each of thepathway start location and pathway finish location may be any locationin the facility including the location of any washroom, of any servicepersonnel, of any dispenser, of any room or of any mobile item.

A travel time is determined for each pathway. For example, with thecomputer having data representing the location of the pathway startlocation and the pathway finish location, and the path that is to befollowed within the facility for that pathway, then the distance of thepathway and the items represented by the pathway can be used to estimatewith an expected velocity over varying segments of the pathway ofmovement of the personnel, for example, a typical walking personnel tomove along the pathway, including velocity and/or times to mount ordescend stairs or elevators, etc. The pathway time may merely becalculated in whole or in part based on data about the facility and anestimated velocity of the personnel, and/or may preferably be determinedbased at least in part on historical data about movement recordedearlier regarding times for movement along portions of the pathway orsimilar pathways times and/or using real time sensing of personnelmoving within the facility along portions of the pathway.

The method may include providing one or more product storagecapabilities within the facility, with the locations including alocation of each product storage capability. Preferably, the productstorage capabilities include a mobile storage cart, and the methodincludes monitoring in real time the location of each mobile storagecart within the facility and wherein the locations including thelocation of each mobile storage cart within the facility as monitored inreal time. Preferably, the method includes storing the consumableproduct at the product storage capabilities, and monitoring theconsumable product at each product storage capability and including foreach servicing operation establishing a listing of consumable productrequired to perform the servicing operation with time, includingselecting the product storage capability from which the consumableproduct for each servicing operation is to be supplied to fulfill thelisting with time.

The method may include monitoring in real time the location of eachservice personnel within the facility and wherein the locationsincluding the location of each service of each personnel within thefacility are monitored in real time.

The method preferably includes for each servicing operation establishinga route for each selected service personnel for that servicing operationby selecting successive of the pathways for each service personnel totravel along to service the selected group of the dispensers as afunction which (a) minimizes the sum of the travel times of the pathwaysof the route and the service times for each dispenser serviced and (b)provides for service of each of the selected group of dispensers beforethe consumable product available in any dispenser is expected to reachthe refill value. A route is a succession of successive pathways that aservice personnel moves along to move from a route start location to aroute finish location. The route may provide for movement between onlytwo locations or between a plurality of locations, for example, 2 to anylarger number, for example, 10, 20, 40 or 80 or more locations. At eachlocation, the service personnel may perform a service function selectedfrom a wide variety of service functions but notably including inrespect of the dispensers, the service functions of refilling theconsumable product in the dispenser and checking the status of thedispenser.

In a simple example, a route may be desired for movement of a servicepersonnel merely between a first location and a second location with adispenser at the second location to have a service function of refillingthe dispenser performed on it. If there is more than one pathway betweenthe first location and the second location, then the pathway selectedfor the route will be the pathway with the lowest pathway time. Theroute time will be the sum of the selected pathway time and the servicetime of performing the service function on the dispenser. The performingof the service function on the one dispenser is to be performed beforethe consumable product available in the dispenser is expected to reachthe refill value. The point in real time when the dispenser is to reachthe refill value is known. Therefore, the service personnel needs tocommence the route at a route start time which is at least as early as atime that is in advance of the refill time by a time equal to the routetime. Thus, the route including its pathways and a route start time canbe selected to refill the dispenser before its refill time.

In a second example, a route may be desired for movement of a servicepersonnel to move from a route start location to service a firstdispenser at a first location and a second dispenser at second locationwith each dispenser to have a service function of refilling thedispenser performed on it. The computer will consider the number ofdifferent pathways from the route start location to the first dispenser,from the route start location to the second dispenser and between thefirst dispenser and the second dispenser. By a trial and errorcalculation method, the computer can calculate the route time for eachpossible succession of pathways that move a personnel to both thedispensers and for each possible succession of pathways representing theroute a dispenser service time that is after a route start time when theservice function is performed at each dispenser. The pathways and routestart time can be selected by performing trial and error calculations soas to select as the route, a route with a route start time and one ofthe succession of pathways that has a service time for each dispenser atleast as early as its refill time and also has the lowest route time.

The method may include selecting the number of service personnel, andselecting a work shift schedule which establishes a start time and stoptime of a work shift for each service personnel when each servicepersonnel will be available for servicing, and periodically establishinga cost per shift of each service personnel, and in a calculation stepperforming an optimizing calculation which over a selected period oftime for the servicing of all dispensers determines the routes requiredto service all dispensers and a sum of the costs of the shifts of allservice personnel, having regard to a selected input matrix of valuesfor the capacity of each dispenser, the refill value for each dispenser,the number of service personnel, the shifts, and the start and stoptimes for the shifts. The calculation step includes repeatedly varyingthe selected input matrix values and repeating the calculation step,with a comparing of the sum of the costs of the shifts of all servicepersonnel for each calculation step and identifying one of the selectedinput matrix values as an optimum input matrix values that minimizes thesum of the costs of the shifts of all service personnel. Preferably, themethod includes modifying the method to adopt the optimum input matrixvalues including modifying the dispensers to provide for the optimumcapacity of each dispenser if different than the then existing capacityof each dispenser, and operating the facility with the selected inputmatrix values for the refill value for each dispenser, number of servicepersonnel, the shifts, and the start and stop times for the shifts.

Preferably, the method is carried out such that when due to a lack ofone or more of consumable product, service personnel, access of servicepersonnel to any dispenser, or operability of any dispenser such thatthe servicing operations cannot be established to selecting successivepathways for each selected service personnel to travel along to servicethe dispensers of the selected group of dispensers as a service functionwhich provides for service of each of the dispensers before the refilltime for each of the dispensers, then the method includes adopting anemergency mode of selecting of the service personnel, the start time andselected group of the dispensers for each servicing operation in whichthe selecting of the service personnel, the start time and selectedgroup of the dispensers for each servicing operation is with the servicefunction providing for the selection of one or more critical dispensersof the dispensers and refilling of each critical dispenser before theirrespective refill time. The critical dispensers are preferably selectedbased on various criterion that may apply to the facility. For example,in a situation where there is an increased risk of infection criticaldispensers may be selected as dispensers of hand cleaning fluids andhand disinfectant fluids as critical dispensers which are to be refilledso as to be kept with available supply at all times even though there isnot enough servicing capacity, for example, to service or refill otherdispensers such as waste bins. As another example, hypothetically, ifservice personnel are limited in numbers and cannot refill alldispensers before their refill time, dispensers of toilet paper may bedesignated as critical so that all toilet paper dispensers will betimely refilled. The method also preferably includes establishing aseries of successive of the servicing operations, wherein the selectingof the service personnel, the start time and selected group of thedispensers for each servicing operation is with the service functionproviding for service of each critical dispensers before theirrespective refill time and providing for servicing of each criticaldispenser which would not be selected for refilling in a given servicingoperation based on the refill time of each critical dispenser but areselected so as to extend the refill time for each critical dispenser bywhich each critical dispenser needs to be refilled in a subsequentservicing operation.

The present invention in another aspect provides a method of managing aplurality of washrooms in a facility for servicing by service personal.The method comprises various steps.

As one step, the method includes providing in a facility a plurality ofwashrooms, each at a fixed location within the facility with eachwashroom having one or more dispensers of consumable product and witheach dispenser having a maximum capacity for the consumable product. Asone example, the facility may have offices or various rooms of whichsome may comprise washrooms by reason of having one or more dispensersof consumable product such as hand cleaning fluid dispensers of, forexample, liquid soap or alcohol based disinfectant fluid from reservoirsthat contain the consumable product, and which reservoirs have acapacity to hold a maximum volume. The dispensers may also comprisedispensers of paper consumable products such as paper hand towels andtoilet paper as in rolls or sheets with each dispenser having acapability to hold a maximum capacity of the paper product. Thedispensers also include waste bins with a maximum capacity to hold amaximum volume of waste.

The method includes the step of providing one or more service personnelfor replenishing the consumable product in the dispensers. The servicepersonnel are, for example, one or more persons or employees who havethe capability to move about the facility and perform various serviceoperations as may be desired.

The method includes establishing for each dispenser a predictiveconsumption profile representing the product estimated to be availablein each dispenser with time into the future. For each dispenser, theconsumable product in the dispenser is determined at a point in time.For example, preferably, the dispenser has a sensor that measures theamount of the consumable product in the dispenser at a known time and,for example, communicates this data to a central computer or processor.Preferably, the sensor measures the amount of consumable product in thedispenser in real time and communicates to the computer in real time. Asanother example, the dispenser may be filled to a known level with theconsumable product by a service personnel, often to the maximum capacityfor the dispenser and the service personnel communicates the filling,the level to which there is filling and the time of filling to thecomputer. For each dispenser, the consumption of its consumable productis determined at different points in time. The consumption representsthe reduction of the consumable product in the dispenser with time. Witha dispenser with real time sensing of the amount of consumable productin the dispenser is known with the passage of time and, at any time, therate at which consumable product has been dispensed with time can beused to predict based on historical data when the consumable product inthe dispenser at any time may be expected to be reduced to nil at somefuture time. Historical data from repeated cycles of filling thedispenser and use of the dispenser can permit the calculation ofpredictive formulas which estimate a predictive consumption profile forthe dispenser describing the amount of consumable product in thedispenser as a function of time. For dispensers that do not have sensorsor real time sensing, dispensing historical data as available on thedispenser can be used to estimate a predictive consumption profile. Thedata to be used may be lesser data points than with a dispenser withreal time sensing limited possibly to data on when the dispenser wasfilled, to what extent and when the dispenser was next observed and theamount of consumable product in the dispenser when next observed.Dispensers without sensors may nevertheless come to have developed anaccurate consumption predictive profile with time as the amount ofhistorical data available to the computer increases.

The method includes establishing for each dispenser a refill value forthe consumable product available in each dispenser. The refill value fora dispenser is the amount of the consumable product desired to be in thedispenser at the time that the dispenser is to be serviced by servicepersonnel to refill the dispenser. The refill value may vary widely andbe selected, for example, in a range of from 0% to 50%, without limitingthe refill value. For example, in a toilet stall which has one dispenserof toilet paper, the refill value may be selected so that even ifconsumption may vary widely from the predictive profile for thedispenser, there will be with a high probability at least some toiletpaper in a private toilet stall at all times. The refill value may beselected to be 15 to 30%, for example, as towards erring on aprobability basis on having at least some toilet paper in the stall atall times and considering having at least some toilet paper asimportant. In a washroom with a permanent water supply with two or moredispensers of hand cleaning soap communally available and visible toeach user, each dispenser may be selected to have a refill value of say0% to 10% expecting that on a probability basis that at least one of thedispensers may have at least some soap and considering having at leastsome soap not critical since typically a user's hands could be washedmerely with water.

The method includes establishing for each dispenser a refill time whenthe consumable product available in each dispenser is expected to reachthe refill value as a function of the predictive consumption profile forthat dispenser. Given that the quantity of consumable product in thedispenser has been determined at a known time, and given that theconsumptive profile of the dispenser has been established, theconsumptive profile is used to estimate the time from when the quantityof consumable product is known in the dispenser to calculate a time whenthe quantity of consumptive product in the dispenser will equal therefill value for the dispenser a selected refill value for a dispenser.

The method includes establishing for each dispenser a service timerequired for the service personnel to refill the consumable product inthat dispenser. The service time for a dispenser is the length of timethat a service personnel who is located at the dispenser is required toperform the service operation of refilling the dispenser from the levelof consumable product the dispenser is at when the service personnelstarts service to a desired level. For example, for a soap dispenserwhich has a replaceable cartridge that is to be removed and replaced byanother cartridge with a reservoir full of soap, the service time may beestimated to be relatively constant. The service time could be estimatedas based on measured times for historical servicing, as could beapparent from sensors on the dispensers preferably determining in realtime the status of the dispenser, the presence of a reservoir orposition of a cover for the dispenser. In other cases, for example, thetime of servicing could be measured by service personnel.

The method includes determining one or more pathways for servicepersonnel to travel between each washroom within the facility and atravel time for each pathway. The facility and its floor plan are knownto the computer as data. The data about the facility and its floor planprovide information including the dimensions and relative location ofmany relevant items including, for example, as are generally to beconsidered immovable items: rooms, walls, hallways, doors, stairways,elevators, escalators and other means by which service personnel maymove within the facility, dispensers, wash basins, water faucets,toilets, showers, tubs, toilet stalls, and the purpose and function ofeach item. The data about the facility can also include informationabout movable items which can include: the location of any movable itemincluding movable dispensers, personnel, mobile carts carryingconsumable products for dispensers and other items for service tasks.From such location information, one or more pathways can be proposed,selected and/or established for service personnel to move along to movefrom a start location from any one location to a finish location at anysecond location. More than one pathway may be possible for movingbetween any start location and a finish location. Each of the pathwaystart location and pathway finish location may be any location in thefacility including the location of any washroom, of any servicepersonnel, of any dispenser, of any room or of any mobile item.

A travel time is determined for each pathway. For example, with thecomputer having data representing the location of the pathway startlocation and the pathway finish location, and the path that is to befollowed within the facility for that pathway, then the distance of thepathway and the items represented by the pathway can be used to estimatewith an expected velocity over varying segments of the pathway ofmovement of the personnel, for example, a typical walking personnel tomove along the pathway, including velocity and/or times to mount ordescend stairs or elevators, etc. The pathway time may merely becalculated in whole or in part based on data about the facility and anestimated velocity of the personnel, and/or may preferably be determinedbased at least in part on historical data about movement recordedearlier regarding times for movement along portions of the pathway orsimilar pathways times and/or using real time sensing of personnelmoving within the facility along portions of the pathway.

The method includes establishing a route for each service personnel byselecting successive of the pathways for each service personnel totravel along to service dispensers as a function which (a) minimizes thesum of the travel times of the pathways of the route and the servicetimes for each dispenser serviced, (b) provides for service of each ofthe dispensers before the consumable product available in any dispenseris expected to reach the refill value. A route is a succession ofsuccessive pathways that a service personnel moves along to move from aroute start location to a route finish location. The route may providefor movement between only two locations or between a plurality oflocations, for example, 2 to any larger number, for example, 10, 20, 40or 80 or more locations. At each location, the service personnel mayperform a service function selected from a wide variety of servicefunctions but notably including in respect of the dispensers the servicefunctions of refilling the consumable product in the dispenser andchecking the status of the dispenser.

In a simple example, a route may be desired for movement of a servicepersonnel merely between a first location and a second location with adispenser at the second location to have a service function of refillingthe dispenser performed on it. If there is more than one pathway betweenthe first location and the second location, then the pathway selectedfor the route will be the pathway with the lowest pathway time. Theroute time will be the sum of the selected pathway time and the servicetime of performing the service function on the dispenser. The performingof the service function on the one dispenser is to be performed beforethe consumable product available in the dispenser is expected to reachthe refill value. The point in real time when the dispenser is to reachthe refill value is known. Therefore, the service personnel needs tocommence the route at a route start time which is at least as early as atime that is in advance of the refill time by a time equal to the routetime. Thus, the route including its pathways and a route start time canbe selected to refill the dispenser before its refill time.

In a second example, a route may be desired for movement of a servicepersonnel to move from a route start location to service a firstdispenser at a first location and a second dispenser at second locationwith each dispenser to have a service function of refilling thedispenser performed on it. The computer will consider the number ofdifferent pathways from the route start location to the first dispenser,from the route start location to the second dispenser and between thefirst dispenser and the second dispenser. By a trial and errorcalculation method, the computer can calculate the route time for eachpossible succession of pathways that move a personnel to both thedispensers and for each possible succession of pathways representing theroute a dispenser service time that is after a route start time when theservice function is performed at each dispenser. The pathways and routestart time can be selected by performing trial and error calculations soas to select as the route, a route with a route start time and one ofthe succession of pathways that has a service time for each dispenser atleast as early as its refill time and also has the lowest route time.

The method preferably includes providing one or more offices within thefacility where one or more service personnel are located when notservicing the dispensers. The offices may, for example, be rooms ormerely locations within the facility where service personnel may waitwhen they are not on routes. The locations of the offices can be usefulif there is not any capability to monitor in real time the location ofpersonnel. The locations of offices can also be useful as setting apreferred route finish location towards returning service personnel totheir offices after any route. The method can include setting as theroute start location and/or the route finish location one or another ofthe offices and determining a preferred route with the pathwaysincluding between each office and other locations and determining one ormore pathways for service personnel to travel between each office andthe washrooms or other locations within the facility and a travel timefor each pathway. The method includes establishing the route for eachservice personnel including as the pathways both the pathways forservice personnel to travel between each washroom within the facilityand the pathways for service personnel to travel between each office andthe washrooms within the facility by selecting successive of thepathways for each service personnel to travel along to servicedispensers as a function which (a) minimizes the sum of the travel timesof the pathways of the route and the service times for each dispenserserviced, and (b) provides for service of each of the dispensers beforethe consumable product available in any dispenser is expected to reachthe refill value.

The method preferably includes providing as one or more locations one ormore product storage spaces in the facility where consumable product canbe stored and accessed by the service personnel. The method includesdetermining one or more pathways for service personnel to travel betweeneach product storage space and each washroom or other locations withinthe facility and a travel time for each pathway. The method includesstoring the consumable product at the storage spaces, and preferablymonitoring the consumable product at each storage space. The locationand availability of consumable product in the storage spaces ispreferably used as part of an inventory control system towards ensuringthat inventory of consumable product is available to service personnelas is required to perform a service operation of refilling a dispenser.The inventory system preferably monitors the inventory carried by aworker in moving along any first or successive pathway as needed andexpended in each service operation of the pathway as is needed insuccessive pathways as is available in the storage spaces and as may bepicked up and added to the consumable product carried by a worker byeach location that is a storage space. The method includes establishingthe route for each service personnel including both the pathways forservice personnel to travel between each product storage space and eachwashroom or other location within the facility and the pathways forservice personnel to travel between each washroom or other locationwithin the facility, and the pathways for service personnel to travelbetween each office and the washrooms or other locations within thefacility by selecting successive of the pathways for each servicepersonnel to travel along to service dispensers as a function which (a)minimizes the sum of the travel times of the pathways of the route andthe service times for each dispenser serviced, (b) provides for serviceof each of the dispensers before the consumable product available in anydispenser is expected to reach the refill value, and maintains aninventory of consumable product carried by a service personnel adequateto perform each next successive service operation. Preferably, themethod includes monitoring in real time the consumable product availablein each dispenser and/or at each storage space including consumableproduct carried with a service personnel.

The method preferably includes selecting the number of servicepersonnel, and selecting a work shift schedule which establishes thestart time and stop time of a work shift for each service personnel wheneach service personnel will be available for servicing. For example, theroutes that are to be calculated and selected can have a one variablethe number of service personnel available at any time. The calculationof any route may be performed firstly assuming but one servicepersonnel, or with two personnel or with any number of personnel. Thetrial and error route calculations will be able to determine, forexample, if it may be possible or impossible to service all dispensersfor refilling before the refill times with calculations based on theavailability of one, two or more service personnel over selected timeperiods. These time periods may be considered comprised of a work shiftfor each service personnel which work shifts have a shift start time anda shift end time and may be unique for each service personnel or may besimilar time periods, for example, standard work shifts for a facility.The calculation of routes will provide for route selection preferablywith an optimization of the number of service personnel working selectedshifts with selected start and finish times. The optimization may bearranged with the trial and error calculations including minimizing thenumber of personnel and/or the cost. Preferably, the method includesperiodically establishing a cost per shift of each service personnel,and a calculation step of performing an optimizing calculation whichover a selected period of time for the servicing of all dispensers orother service operations determines the routes required to service alldispensers and/or perform all desired service operations and a sum ofthe costs of the shifts of all service personnel, having regard to aselected input matrix of values including at least some of the capacityof each dispenser, the refill value for each dispenser, the number ofservice personnel, the shifts, and the start and stop times for theshifts. The method can include trial and error calculation as byrepeatedly varying the selected input matrix values and repeating thecalculation step, comparing the sum of the costs of the shifts of allservice personnel for each calculation step and identifying one of theselected input matrix values as an optimum input matrix values thatminimizes the sum of the costs of the shifts of all service personnel.The method can also include a step of modifying the method to adopt theoptimum input matrix values including modifying the dispensers toprovide for the optimum capacity of each dispenser if different than thethen existing capacity of each dispenser, and operating the facilitywith the selected input matrix values for the refill value for eachdispenser, number of service personnel, the shifts, and the start andstop times for the shifts. For example, some dispensers may have at onepoint in time a capacity, for example, a liquid dispenser may have areservoir with a 1 liter capacity for hand cleaning fluid. Insofar asthis dispenser may be used frequently and needs to be refilledfrequently, then consideration is to be given to increasing the capacityof the dispenser to, say, 2 liters or adding one or more dispensers ofthe hand cleaning fluid at that location. Calculations can be performedwith a modified hypothetical matrix values including the additionalcapacity of the one dispenser and/or the additional dispensers,calculations of routes required and the time of personnel and costsrecalculated to determine if more favourable servicing results as tocost or personnel required or other factors and functions. Similarly, bythe selective varying of the matrix values of a facility by trial anderror calculations, not only can optimized servicing routes, personneland costing be selected by the location and number of dispensers and thelike can be selected towards optimization as desired.

Facilities are used in different manners at different times. Forexample, in a sports stadium, washroom facilities are used heavily whenan event is taking place at the facility as, for example during a soccermatch, but is used sparingly between events. As well, different eventswill result in usage of different washrooms and/or at differentschedules, for example, at a business conference over a longer period oftime and possibly with different washrooms seeing higher usage. Theusage of washrooms will, in many office facilities, vary by day of theweek and/or holiday days or other time periods unique to any facilitywhen less workers are present. Preferably, the method includes varyingthe predictive consumption profile of each dispenser to accommodatespecial usage events of the facility over a selected period of time.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further aspects and advantages of the present invention will occur fromthe following description taken together with the accompanying drawings,in which:

FIG. 1 is a pictorial view of a system for managing a plurality ofwashrooms in a facility for servicing by service personnel;

FIGS. 2, 3, 4 and 5 are, respectively, pictorial views of an exemplarypaper towel dispenser, a hand cleaning fluid dispenser, a toilet paperdispenser and a waste bin suitable for placement in the washrooms of afacility for use in accordance with the present invention and, as well,a location in the facility other than washrooms;

FIG. 6 is a table identifying one of two exemplary washrooms by numberand identifying dispensers within the washroom and their relative levelof consumable product within each dispenser;

FIG. 7 is a schematic floor plan of one example of a facility inaccordance with the present invention showing two washrooms withdispensers provided therein;

FIG. 8 is a schematic floor plan of a second example of a facility inaccordance with the present invention;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged floor plan of one washroom on the floor plan ofFIG. 9;

FIG. 10 is a schematic pictorial view of a screen provided at thedoorway of a washroom on FIG. 9; and

FIG. 11 is an enlarged schematic floor plan of another washroom on thefloor plan of FIG. 9 shown to include a floor cleaning robot.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention provides the smart washroom solutions that entaila system (10) as schematically shown in FIG. 1:

-   -   a washroom user (11),    -   one or more smart dispensers (12) capable to send their usage        data as into the cloud,    -   a database (14),    -   a server (16) to act as datamining machines to process and        analyze such data,    -   a back office application (18) to visualize, monitor and        configure washroom usage and hygiene compliance data,    -   a mobile application (20) to, amongst other things, allocate        inventory, organize the workflow and direct the tasks at hand,        preferably including an inventory at hand monitoring system to        monitor inventory in accordance of momentary and long term        usage,    -   provide an electronic to-do list to the service person or        personnel (22),    -   a facility manager (24), and    -   a computer (26) for interface with the facility manager (24).

Components

Dispensers

The dispensers (12) are equipped with microcontrollers which areequipped with one or several sensors to measure usage, filling level andbattery voltage and to establish communication preferably a wirelessconnection via WI-FI or by other radio communication means.

A dispenser (12) transfers usage data with time preferably after eachactivation. A quality of service message including equipment statusinformation of the dispenser (12) preferably is sent at regular timeintervals.

As used herein, the term “dispenser (12)” includes:

-   -   (1) paper towel dispensers (P) (as seen in FIG. 2), liquid        dispensers (D) (as seen in FIG. 3), and toilet paper        dispensers (T) (as seen in FIG. 4), each of which dispense a        consumable product (13), namely, paper towels (p), liquid hand        cleaner (f) such as liquid soap or disinfectant such as an        alcohol based hand disinfectant, and toilet paper (t),        respectively;    -   (2) waste bins (B) (as seen in FIG. 5) whose consumable product        is empty waste bin space and with the waste bins monitoring        their decreasing waste bin space; and    -   (3) air-freshener dispensers (A shown on FIG. 8).

Locations

The facility may be one or more facilities such as a building, hospitalor sports complex. One exemplary facility (30) is schematicallypartially shown in FIG. 7 as including two washrooms (31) with eachhaving a paper towel dispenser (D), a toilet paper dispenser (T) and onehaving a waste bin (B). The locations of dispensers (12) within anyfacility (30), down to the washroom (31)/room (32) level, offices forservice personnel (33) and product storage capabilities (34) includingstorage rooms (35) where product inventory is stored and mobile cleaningtrolleys and service carts (36) are configured in the back officeapplication (18) and are managed preferably via a tree structure. Eachtree-node can be a physical or a logical location to give the facilitymanager (24) the option to manage a facility (30) as it fits theirbusiness. There is no limit to the number of dispensers (12) and/orlevel of tree-nodes.

Reference is made to FIG. 8 which shows a schematic plan view of asecond exemplary facility (30) in accordance with the present invention.FIG. 8 shows the facility (30) as divided by walls (60) into a series ofseparate areas which may comprise, for example, rooms and/or hallways(61). Access to the rooms and hallways are provided by doorways, some ofwhich are indicated as (62). The rooms include four washrooms (31) whichare also indicated as W1, W2, W3 and W4; two offices (33) for servicepersonnel; and two consumable product storage rooms (35) with the otherrooms generally indicated as (32). Two service personnel (22) are shownon the floor plan, randomly as being in the offices (33) for servicepersonnel (22). One mobile service cart (36) is randomly shown as beingin a room (32). Each washroom (31) is shown as having a number ofdispensers (12) identified by an upper case letter with the handcleaning dispensers indicated as (D), the paper towel dispenser isindicated as (T), the toilet paper dispenser is indicated as (P) and thewaste bin is indicated as (B). In each of the two product inventorystorage rooms (35) and on the mobile storage trolley (36), there is agraphic indication of the inventory of consumable products (13) with,for ease of illustration, as small case letters with (t) representingpaper towels, (p) for toilet paper and (f) for hand cleaning fluid withthe number associated with each letter indicating a relative volume ofeach consumable product (13). The layout of the facility (30) is knownas is the location of each doorway (62) and each of its washrooms (31),rooms (32), offices (33) for service personnel, and consumable productstorage rooms (35). As well, preferably, facility (30) provides a systemfor real time determination as to the location within the facility (30)of each service personnel (22) and the mobile service cart (36).

In the facility (30) of FIG. 8, certain of the dispensers (12) aredesignated as key dispensers (12) and these dispensers are indicated askey dispensers (12) in FIG. 8 by having the upper case letter for eachfollowed by an asterisk “*”. The key dispensers (12) may be selected asdispensers for which there might be expected to be increased usageduring a period of time and for which it is desired that the keydispenser (12) have product as through the time of a special event orfor as long as possible during the special event towards preventing orat least minimizing the key dispenser (12) becoming empty or needing tobe refilled during the time of the special event. The facility (30) alsohas certain of the dispensers indicated as critical dispensers indicatedon FIG. 8 at the placement of a plus sign “+” following the upper caseletter for that dispenser as, for example, with the critical toiletpaper dispenser being indicated as P⁺. These critical dispensers may beselected to cover emergency situations as which may arise, for example,to ensure there is at least toilet paper at some of the toilet paperdispensers in some of the washrooms.

On FIG. 8, there is schematically shown in broken lines one hypotheticalroute (40) that one service personnel (22) may follow hypotheticallyfrom right hand office (33) for service personnel (22) to the left handoffice (33) for service personnel (22). The hypothetical route (40)comprises successive pathways for the service personnel (22) to travelalong. The hypothetical route (40) includes a number of pathwaysincluding:

-   -   a first pathway (71) to the location of the mobile service cart        (36) in a first room (32);    -   a second pathway (72) from the first room to the washroom (31)        designated W4;    -   a third pathway (73) from the washroom W4 to the washroom W2;    -   a fourth pathway (74) from the washroom W2 to the washroom W1;    -   a fifth pathway (75) from the washroom W1 to the washroom W3;        and    -   a sixth pathway (76) from the washroom W3 to the left hand        office (33) for service personnel (22).

In addition, within each washroom, a number of pathways are providedincluding shorter pathways indicating the pathway of the servicepersonnel (22) in moving between dispensers (12) within each individualwashroom as, for example, to service selected of the dispensers (12)and/or to check on the level of consumable product (13) and/or theoperational status of some or all of the dispensers (12).

In this regard, reference is made to FIG. 9 which shows an enlarged viewof the washroom (31) designated as W1 on FIG. 1 and shows a number ofpathways of a service personnel (22) in moving between the dispensers(12) within the washroom W1 as comprising individual pathways (81),(82), (83), (84), (85), (86), (87), (88) and (89) via which a servicepersonnel (22) will move between the dispensers. As seen on FIG. 9, inthis particular washroom, there is an efficiency in moving in a mannerto firstly service selective of the toilet paper dispensers (P) and thensubsequently to service selected of the hand cleaning fluid dispensers(D) and the waste bins (B) based on the relative location of the variousdispensers (12) within the washroom. Thus, the hypothetical route (40)would include not only each of the first to sixth pathways (71) to (76)but also the pathways to rooms including, for example, in respect of thewashroom W1 on FIG. 9, on a service personnel (22) moving along theroute (40), the service personnel (22) will perform servicing operationsat each of the dispensers or other locations. For example, on FIG. 9,various servicing operations are indicated as (S1) to (S9) indicatingvarious servicing operations which need to be performed by the servicepersonnel along the route (40). Each of the service operations (S1) to(S8) for each of the respective dispensers may include, for example,filling a dispenser, checking the level of consumable product in thedispenser and/or checking the operational status of the dispenser. Inaddition, there is shown a service operation (S9) at the doorway (62) ofthe washroom W1 which also indicates some service operation which isperformed on exiting the washroom W1. Each of these service operations(S1) to (S9) that the service personnel (22) would perform and each ofthe pathways (71) to (76) and (81) to (89) along which the servicepersonnel (22) would move are and can be assigned a time that theservice personnel (22) are expected to take. The sum of the time oftravel on pathways and the sum of the time of the service operations tobe performed can be used to calculate an accumulative time that aservice personnel (22) may be expected to move along the route (40)performing the service operations. The length of the pathways is knowngiven the knowledge of the floor plan. A relative speed of movement of aservice personnel (22) along a pathway can be assumed or calculated ormeasured. The location of each of the service operation is known. Byproviding the dispensers (12) which indicate changes to their filllevels and operational status in real time and systems to indicate thelocations and the changes in the location of service personnel (22)and/or storage carts (36) in the facility (30) with time, measurementscan be made as to the time it takes for a service personnel (22) to movealong any pathway or perform any service operation or to perform anyroute and save such measurements in a historical database of suchmeasured times and service operations. Suitable times for any route,pathway or service operations can be estimated based on historical datawhich has been gathered.

Tree-node datatypes for locations include:

-   -   Logical node/Physical node;    -   Facility;    -   Washroom (31)/room (32);    -   Product inventory storage rooms (35) and mobile storage trolleys        (36);    -   Offices for services personnel (34).

A dispenser (12) can be attached to each of these node types.

As another example that is not shown in a drawing, there is thefollowing:

Facility 1: Test Compliance Campus Issum

-   -   Washroom (31): Men's room floor 1        -   Soap dispenser        -   Disinfectant dispenser        -   Toilet paper dispenser        -   Paper towel dispenser        -   Waste bin    -   Disinfectant dispenser Floor 1    -   Garden        -   Waste bin    -   Basement        -   Product inventory storage room

Facility 2: Office Switzerland

-   -   Floor 2        -   Washroom: Men's room floor 2            -   Soap dispenser            -   Disinfectant dispenser            -   Toilet paper dispensers                -   Toilet paper dispenser stall 1                -   Toilet paper dispenser stall 2            -   Waste bin    -   Floor 1        -   Disinfectant dispenser        -   Product inventory storage room            -   Waste bin

Service Personnel

The service personnel (22) is managed in the back office application(18). The dataset includes for each service personnel (22) staffinformation that may include their names, working times as in shiftstart and stop times and assigned facility. Administration masks make iteasy to add additional service personnel (22) to the system and toassign them to a facility and or to a specific set of tasks. There is nolimit in the number of service personnel (22).

The service personnel (22) preferably use a smartphone or a tablet incooperation with the mobile application (20) to access their workto-dos. The service personnel (22) preferably need to authenticatethemselves with a unique username/password combination. The system (10)keeps track of the working times, the reaction times and all informationin relation with a task given to a specific service personnel (22). Theinformation can be analyzed and monitored in the back office application(18) for specific user roles.

A single service personnel (22) can be assigned to one or morefacilities (30), e.g. a janitor who serves multiple washrooms (31) everyday. More than one service personnel (22) can be used.

Product Inventory Storage

The consumable product inventory level is managed in the back officeapplication (18) preferably via the location structure tree. Preferably,the storage level of the consumable product (18) inventory is monitoredwith sensors whenever the levels are desired to be known, including inthe storage rooms and carts. Exemplary sensors X₁ to X₉ are shown onFIG. 8 in the product storage rooms (35) and on the mobile storage cart(36). Each sensor associated with are consumable product and preferablywith each sensor communicating quantity of consumable product with theserver.

Rather than use sensors to monitor inventory, an Enterprise ResourcePlanning (ERP) system can be connected or the back office application(18) can be used manually to manage the stock of consumable productinventory storage linked to the facility (30). Used consumable materialsare subtracted from the consumable product (13) storage inventory. Thedata can be sent to the ERP system.

An intelligent algorithm forecasts the estimated amount of consumableproduct (13) needed for use defined periods of time based on historicaldata the server (16) has gathered from the past.

Travel Paths

To calculate efficient travel paths or pathways, for example, pathways(71) to (76) and (81) to (89) for the service routes of servicepersonnel (22) within a facility (30), the distance between thedispensers (12), the personnel offices (33) and inventory storage rooms(35) and mobile carts (36) inside a facility (30) is either establishedthrough input administrative configuration masks and/or calculated andrecalculated based on the historical data for travelling times.

For multi building management, the travel paths (40) between any twobuildings to be jointly managed between the facilities (30) can becalculated based on their geocoordinates related to the forecast data ofupcoming tasks.

Optimized travel paths for servicing a facility (30) can include thepaths and time for visits of service personnel (22) to product inventorystorage rooms (35) to replenish cleaning trolleys (36) serving as mobileservice carts used by the service personnel (22) to move consumableproduct (13) and the time required for service personnel (22) to loadconsumable product (13) for use, and the service time required to refilleach dispenser (12).

Travel paths (40) preferably are generated automatically to match aspecific service level for a facility (30) based on a predictiveconsumption profile for the dispensers (12) which preferably are, inpart, based on historical usage data once there is enough historicaldata. Travel paths (40) can be adjusted to accommodate in whole or inpart routes favored by the service personnel (22) and pre-scheduledroutines (e.g. servicing a coffee machine). A route (40) can begenerated manually as for facilities (30) without automated input fromthe dispensers (12) or to permit manual input of specific tasks.

Special Events

Special events include time periods when the facility (30) is subjectedto different usage than normal, for example, high usage of theconsumable products (13). Special events are estimated in advance andplaced into the schedule in the back office application (18). Ifdesired, the configuration of a facility (30) or the available range ofdispensers (12) can be changed for a specific time frame relevant to aspecial event.

As an example of a special event, the washrooms (31) of a train stationfacility (30) close to a soccer stadium can be preconfigured for all thetimes of the soccer games, for example, to optimize the productinventory from running out including, for example, providing servicepersonnel (22) and the dispensers (12) to be 100% full before the gamestarts.

Software

Server

The server (16) preferably receives all sensor data and stores them astime series data in a clustered NoSQL database environment. With theapplication of intelligent algorithms, in relation to the master datainformation about available service personnel (22), facilities (30) toserviced, available inventory of consumable product (13) at the locallevel, washrooms (31) and their dispensers (12), the server (16) as amastermind is utilized optimising service operations and other taskswithin the facilities (30). The server (16) provides for communicationof the data service operations and including, for example, to theservice personnel (22), preferably to their smartphones via a mobileapplication (20).

The server (16) preferably has a multi-tenancy capable and providesseveral user roles with different usage and access permissions.

Back Office Application

The back office application (18) provides a real time status quo aboutthe monitored entities. Facilities (30), washrooms (31), dispensers(12), service personnel (22), the consumable product used andaccordingly the consumable product (13) at hand are preferably trackedand prepared for interactive analysis.

The back room application (18) is preferably tailor-made for anyfacility manager (24) to provide the facility manager (24) with a simpleweb frontend to serve all their needs. For example, user-friendlyconfiguration masks are used to show and configure each individualwashroom (31) and/or dispenser (12) and to show the actual predicted ordesired service levels for each. For example, reference is made to FIG.6 showing a mask that shows two hypothetical washrooms WR1 and WR2, eachwith two dispensers D1 and D2 dispensing liquid soap and disinfectant,respectively, one paper towel dispenser T, one toilet paper dispenser Pand one waste bin B and showing in a table for a given time the extentthe consumable product in each dispenser, if full, as a percent. Thetable also shows the number of visitors to each washroom in a timeperiod.

Other activities not related to dispensers (12) or sensor data about thedispensers (12), their operability, and/or their consumable product (13)can be planned and monitored by the back room application (18) as well.Such activities include scheduled task routines that allow themanagement and control over reoccurring activities such as, for example,floor cleaning, gardening and other tasks concerning servicing afacility (30).

Mobile Application

The service personnel (22) preferably have and use a smartphone or atablet to wirelessly access the mobile application (20). All the serviceoperations generated by the server algorithms are preferably shown tothe assigned service personnel (22). The mobile application (20)preferably provides information about all the consumable products (13)needed for each service route to optimize the loading of the mobilecleaning trolleys (36) and to avoid unnecessary redundant routes.

Preferably, a forecast algorithm determines when the next refill/serviceroute is needed and keep the service personnel (22) efficientlyutilized.

Personnel and Anonymous Mode

The system (10) can be run in many different modes including:

The Personalized mode provides:

-   -   Personalized servicing operation management:        -   Servicing operations are getting assigned to specific            service personnel (22).    -   Personalized Username/Password combination.    -   Tracking working and reaction times.    -   Consumable product (13) usage by service personnel (22) linked        to a specific person.        -   All information related to a given servicing operation            implicitly linked to a specific services personnel (22).

The Anonymous mode:

-   -   Anonymous service operation management:        -   Servicing operations are getting assigned to            phones/anonymized accounts.    -   Anonymized Username/Password combination:        -   E.g. “facility 1 phone1/password”    -   Tracking reaction times.    -   Consumable product usage by service personnel (22) linked to a        “phone”/anonymized account.    -   All information related to a given servicing operation        implicitly linked to a specific phone/anonymized account.

Algorithms

Intelligent self-learning algorithms preferably process and analyze allreceived data and information about facilities (30), service personnel(22), dispensers (12), materials, product inventory storages and travelpaths (40) in relation with time, preferably in real time.

Preferably, after gathering enough historical usage data during runtimethe algorithms can calculate many items including, for example:

-   -   the amount of service personnel (22) needed for a facility (30)        with time,    -   the amount of consumable product (13) needed for a facility (30)        with time,    -   optimization of equipment/dispensers (12) in a facility (30),    -   the amount of required dispensers (12) during peak usage of a        facility (30),    -   the point in time when each dispenser (12) will run empty, that        is, have a nil value for consumable product (13),    -   the point in time when each dispenser (12) will preferably be        desired to be refilled,    -   the point in time when scheduled tasks need to be performed,        such as when floor cleaning is needed.

The algorithms preferably continuously be developed further with timeand historical data input to provide more and deeper insight into thedata about the facility (30) and its usage and servicing.

Advantages Optimized Service Personnel and Optimized Material Usage

The system (10) preferably monitors and tracks, preferably in real timedata regarding at least some of:

-   -   Dispenser (12) activations and their filling levels including        the consumable product (13) in each dispenser with time,    -   Servicing operations and activities, including servicing        dispensers (12) indicating which dispensers (12) need refilling        or have been refilled and when,    -   Consumable products (13) in inventory, placed into dispensers        (12) and available in each dispenser (12),    -   Washroom (31) usage data as measured by monitoring at least the        dispensers (12) usage by monitoring consumable product (13) in        selected dispensers (12) with time,    -   Reaction times of service personnel (22), that is, the time        required for servicing dispensers (12), travel and loading        inventory,    -   Trends regarding the usage of dispensers (12) with time.

All such data preferably is analyzed within the back office application(18) to identify potential for optimization. Such time based data isused as a foundation to detect trends and to forecast tasks andconsumable products (13) needed.

Real-Time Tracking

The facility management service provider preferably is provided with adetailed insight into the washrooms (31) in their facilities (30).Preferably, the coordination of servicing task and consumable product(13) is digitalized and automated.

Automatic Task Distribution

The workload of the building manager (24) preferably is reducedsignificantly by the present invention by avoiding handwrittentask-sheets. Preferably, the back office application (18) communicatesthe servicing tasks to maximize the service level and the performance ofthe cleaning personnel (22).

Material Tracking

All consumable products (13) present, stored or consumed within thecleaning and servicing of a facility (30) preferably are tracked andavailable to analyze in the back office application (18), preferablyshowing exactly where and how much of the consumable product (13) isavailable to optimize inventory and purchasing.

Improved End-User Experience

Preferably, as seen in FIG. 10, with use of the present invention, theend-users (11) will have a better experience while using the washrooms(31). Preferably, the avoidance or reduction of dispensers (12) havingno consumable product (13) will improve the quality of service and theimage of the facility (30) and the service manager (24). A tablet screen(50) may be provided at the entrance (51) to each washroom (31)indicating the state of the washroom (31) and its dispensers (12) andwhen they were last serviced.

Floor Cleaning

Preferably, as seen in FIG. 11, to automate floor cleaning, a robot (54)is provided in each washroom (31) in a storage position to executescheduled and sensor based cleaning as directed by the system (10). Forexample, once a specific threshold of washroom users is exceeded as maybe measured, for example, by monitoring the supply of the consumableproduct (13) in the dispensers (12), the robotic floor cleaning istriggered. A washroom (31) preferably will be split into two separateareas (55, 56) where one will be cleaned and one will still be availableto the end-user (11). Once the cleaning of the floor in the first area(55) is finished and dry, the second area (56) will be cleaned and theend-user (11) can use the first cleaned area. When the floor cleaning ofthe second area is finished, the robot (54) moves itself into storageposition and waits for the next scheduled and/or sensor based cleaningas directed by the system (10).

Preferably, an ERP-Systems is provided to automate the consumableproduct management including purchasing and to provide suggestions tothe buyer.

Preferably, the system gathers data serving to time-track the servicepersonnel (22) at least by monitoring the available consumable product(13) in the dispensers (12) as, for example, to indicate refilling.

Preferably, the system (10) includes a feedback terminal which may alsocomprise the tablet screen (50) shown on FIG. 10 at the exit of somewashrooms (31) by which an end-user has the opportunity to send somefeedback about what he liked and what he did not like about the washroom(31) and its usage including the malfunction of dispensers (12), lack ofconsumable product (13), lack of cleanliness and the like. The backoffice application (18) can be arranged to such feedback and reactaccordingly to identify problems and reduce reaction time.

Optimization

The following table sets out in an exemplary manner in which a system inaccordance with the present invention can optimize the facility (30) andits servicing:

Cleaning Service Personnel Dispenser Consumable Products Optimizedassignment within Optimized consumable product Result-orientedprediction of the automated servicing operation capacity of eachdispenser based amounts needed. distribution. on analysis of historicaldata. Calculation based on a given Efficient usage with reduceddistances Dispensers that have, for budget for a facility, a washroombetween servicing operation and example, high or low usage can orseveral washrooms. avoided redundant routes. be identified and optimizedCalculation of a budget needed Calculation of the amount of accordinglyto reduce the service based on the usage of a facility, consumableproducts needed to personnel time needed to serve a washroom or severalremove from a fixed inventory room them. More efficient cleaningwashrooms. and placed on the mobile trolley intervals based on usagedata. accordingly.

Various dispensers of consumable products are well known to personsskilled in the art. Known dispensers which are manually operated as byactuating a lever and those which are automatic dispensers preferably,for example, touchless dispensers in which the presence of a user's handnear the dispenser activates dispensing of the consumable product.Manual dispensers may require inspection by service personnel todetermine the fill level of consumable product in the dispenser or theymay have signalling systems which provide signals preferably via theInternet to a computer to indicate the status of the dispenser, forexample, to indicate the level of consumable product in the dispenser,when the dispenser may be empty of consumable product, whether thedispenser is operating properly and the like. Such dispensers, whethermanual or touchless, are well known to be provided with communicationcapabilities and sensing abilities to sense various parameters of thedispenser are well known and may be taught as, for example, in thefollowing patents and published patent applications: US PatentPublication US 2016/0093195 to Ophardt, published Mar. 31, 2016; USPatent Publication US 2014/0253336 to Ophardt, published Sep. 31, 2014;U.S. Pat. No. 8,816,860 to Ophardt, issued Aug. 26, 2014, thedisclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.

These patents provide for electronic communication of information fromthe dispenser not only of dispensers in which the dispensing via anelectric motor but also of manual dispensers in which dispensing ispowered by manually applied forces yet with signals being developed forcommunication of status and activity of the dispenser.

Various dispensers and dispenser arrangements are well known whichprovide for sensing as of the consumable product in a dispenser, forexample, fluid remaining in a fluid dispenser and the amount of paperremaining as in a paper towel dispenser or a toilet paper dispenser.Exemplary are U.S. Pat. No. 9,027,788 to Ophardt, issued May 12, 2015;U.S. Pat. No. 8,201,707 to Ophardt, issued Jun. 19, 2012 and U.S. Pat.No. 8,215,523 to Ophardt, issued Jul. 10, 2012, the disclosures of whichare incorporated herein by reference. These and other previously knownarrangements teach monitoring levels of consumable products indispensers as with time and determining directly or indirectly the filllevel for a dispenser at any time and determining a time when adispenser may be expected to be empty of consumable product.

It is well known to provide fluid dispensers such as hand cleaner soapdispensers which, to replenish the supply of fluid in the dispenser, areservoir in the dispenser is refilled or a reservoir is replaced by arefill reservoir which may or may not have a pump assembly attached.Such fluid dispenser are shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 9,437,103to Ophardt, issued Sep. 6, 2016, the disclosure of which is incorporatedherein by reference.

Previously known systems and methods are well known for monitoring thelocation of personnel and/or movable objects within a facilityincluding, for example, having service personnel and movable objectscarry sensors that monitor at least the movement and location of theservice personnel within a facility, preferably in real time andcommunicate data to a central computer. One example is the method andsystem taught by U.S. Pat. No. 7,898,407 to Hufton, issued Mar. 1, 2011,the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference and whichteaches various arrangements using IR detectors and badges carried onusers and which is readily adapted for use with other detector systemsincluding WiFi, Bluetooth and the like.

While the invention has been described with reference to preferredembodiments, many modifications and variations will now occur to aperson skilled in the art. For a definition of the invention, referenceis made to the following claims.

We claim:
 1. A system for managing a plurality of washrooms in afacility for servicing by service personnel comprising: a server; and aplurality of smart dispensers, each for dispensing a consumable productat different locations fixed within the facility, and with each smartdispenser having a maximum capacity for the consumable product, whereineach smart dispenser has a system for monitoring a supply of theconsumable product available in the smart dispenser and communicatingdata regarding the consumable product available in the smart dispenserto the server; wherein the server establishes for each smart dispenser apredictive consumption profile representing the consumable productestimated to be available in each smart dispenser with time into thefuture, wherein the server establishes for each smart dispenser a refillvalue for the consumable product available in each smart dispenser,wherein the server establishes for each smart dispenser a refill timewhen the consumable product available in each smart dispenser isexpected to reach the refill value as a function of the predictiveconsumption profile for that smart dispenser, wherein the serverestablishes at least one or more servicing operations, each servicingoperation having one of the service personnel, a start time and aselected group of the smart dispensers; wherein the server selects theservice personnel, the start time and the selected group of the smartdispensers for each servicing operation as a service function whichprovides for service of each of the smart dispensers to replenish theconsumable product in the smart dispensers before their respectiverefill time; wherein when due to a lack of one or more of consumableproduct, service personnel, access of service personnel to any smartdispenser, or operability of any smart dispenser such that the servicingoperations cannot be established to select successive pathways for eachselected service personnel to travel along to service the smartdispensers of the selected group of smart dispensers as a servicefunction which provides for service of each of the smart dispensersbefore the refill time for each of the smart dispensers, then the serveradopts an emergency mode of selecting of the service personnel, thestart time and the selected group of the smart dispensers for eachservicing operation in which the selecting of the service personnel, thestart time and the selected group of the smart dispensers for eachservicing operation is with the service function providing for theselection of one or more critical smart dispensers of the smartdispensers and refilling of each critical smart dispenser before theirrespective refill time.
 2. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein theserver establishes a series of successive of the servicing operations,wherein the server selects the service personnel, the start time and theselected group of the smart dispensers for each servicing operation withthe service function providing for service of each critical smartdispenser before their respective refill time and providing forservicing of each critical smart dispenser which would not be selectedfor refilling in a given servicing operation based on the refill time ofeach critical smart dispenser but are selected so as to extend therefill time for each critical smart dispenser by which each criticalsmart dispenser needs to be refilled in a subsequent servicingoperation.
 3. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein, when the serveris in the emergency mode, the server reviews and re-establishes therefill value for each critical smart dispenser.
 4. The system accordingto claim 1, wherein the server establishes the servicing operations forservicing of each critical smart dispenser to extend the refill time foreach critical smart dispenser to a time after a predetermined time. 5.The system according to claim 4, wherein the server selects thepredetermined time having regard to factors selected from the groupconsisting of: a) ensuring the consumable product is available in eachcritical smart dispenser until after a period of time in which other ofthe smart dispensers are not operative, (b) ensuring the consumableproduct is available in each critical smart dispenser until after aperiod of time in which there is the lack of one or more of consumableproduct, (c) ensuring the consumable product is available in eachcritical smart dispenser until after a period of time in which there isa lack of service personnel, and (d) ensuring the consumable product isavailable in each critical smart dispenser until after a period of timein which there is a lack of access of service personnel to any smartdispenser.
 6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the criticalsmart dispensers comprise toilet paper dispensers in some or all of theplurality of washrooms.
 7. The system according to claim 1, wherein thecritical smart dispensers comprise dispensers of hand cleaning fluid. 8.The system according to claim 1, further comprising a location systemfor monitoring in real time a location of each service personnel withinthe facility.
 9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the server,from time to time, establishes for each smart dispenser the predictiveconsumption profile based on a function of (a) any monitoring in realtime of the consumable product available in each smart dispenser, and(b) predicted usage of the consumable product in each smart dispenser.10. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein when the server is not inthe emergency mode, the server selects the service personnel, the starttime and the selected group of the smart dispensers for each servicingoperation with the service function: (a) providing for service of eachof the smart dispensers before their respective refill time, and (b)providing for servicing of predetermined one or more key smartdispensers of the smart dispensers to extend the refill time for eachkey smart dispenser.
 11. The system as claimed in claim 2 wherein, whenthe server is in the emergency mode, the server reviews andre-establishes the refill value for each critical smart dispenser. 12.The system according to claim 11, wherein the server establishes theservicing operations for servicing of each critical smart dispenser toextend the refill time for each critical smart dispenser to a time aftera predetermined time.
 13. The system according to claim 12, wherein theserver selects the predetermined time having regard to factors selectedfrom the group consisting of: a) ensuring the consumable product isavailable in each critical smart dispenser until after a period of timein which other of the smart dispensers are not operative, (b) ensuringthe consumable product is available in each critical smart dispenseruntil after a period of time in which there is the lack of one or moreof consumable product, (c) ensuring the consumable product is availablein each critical smart dispenser until after a period of time in whichthere is a lack of service personnel, and (d) ensuring the consumableproduct is available in each critical smart dispenser until after aperiod of time in which there is a lack of access of service personnelto any smart dispenser.
 14. The system according to claim 13, whereinthe critical smart dispensers comprise toilet paper dispensers in someor all of the plurality of washrooms.
 15. The system according to claim14, wherein the critical smart dispensers comprise all of the toiletpaper dispensers in the facility.
 16. The system according to claim 15,wherein the critical smart dispensers comprise dispensers of handcleaning fluid.
 17. The system according to claim 5, wherein thecritical smart dispensers comprise toilet paper dispensers in some orall of the plurality of washrooms.
 18. The system according to claim 17,wherein the critical smart dispensers comprise all of the toilet paperdispensers in the facility.
 19. The system according to claim 5, whereinthe critical smart dispensers comprise dispensers of hand cleaningfluid.
 20. The system according to claim 6, wherein the critical smartdispensers comprise all of the toilet paper dispensers in the facility.